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Cost: $1,295
Class Size Limit: 6
This intensive 10-week program is a unique opportunity for just six writers to work directly with Narratively executive editor Jesse Sposato in a small group setting this fall, with weekly classes and close editorial guidance. In addition to editing Narratively’s Memoir section and overseeing our annual Memoir Prize, Jesse’s own essays have appeared in Vanity Fair, InStyle, Shondaland, HuffPost, Gloria, Memoir Land and many other publications, and she has a comprehensive understanding of the personal essay marketplace. This hybrid class / mentorship model is designed for writers who want in-depth personalized feedback on their ideas and drafts, and are ready to break through and get their own personal essays published.
Over the course of the 10 weeks, you’ll learn the essentials of how to craft first-person pieces that resonate with editors and readers; develop an in-depth understanding of the personal essay marketplace; and learn how to refine your own work and polish it for publication.
The incubator includes 10 weekly class sessions held on Wednesdays from 12pm to 1pm ET, starting on September 16 and ending on November 18.
This class will start by peeling back what we think we know about the personal essay and how to best approach it. By closely looking at several craft and literary pieces, we will dig into how to think of ourselves as characters, how to get to the point, how to identify what elements of your own life will make for the most compelling stories and more. Over the following weeks, each writer will submit a draft of up to 2,500 words and receive in-depth personalized feedback from the instructor, then workshop the piece in class sessions with their peers.
Throughout the course, there will be craft exercises and weekly craft and literary reading assignments designed to help you zero in on what makes a personal essay resonate. We’ll closely examine examples of specific personal essays that have worked exceptionally well; discuss how to know what to include and what to leave out; the importance of specificity; and dive into the intricacies of how to pitch and submit these essays to publications. Before the final class session, each writer will have an additional opportunity to put all these tools into action by writing and submitting a draft of a second essay for in-depth feedback from the instructor.
By the end of the class, you’ll have two polished personal essays, a comprehensive understanding of how the editing process can improve a piece, and all the tools to continue writing and publishing dynamic first-person pieces.
This class is right for you if…
You’ve started writing personal essays and want guidance about how to craft them in a way that will resonate with editors and readers.
You have essay ideas but you’re unsure of how to pitch them, or you’ve been pitching but would like to improve your success rate.
After this class you’ll have…
Two polished personal essays ready to submit to specific publications, plus concrete plans for writing and submitting your next personal essays.
A solid understanding of how to craft a pitch, and of the opportunities available to place personal essays.
This class takes place on Wednesdays from 12pm to 1pm ET, starting on September 16, 2026 and ending on November 18, 2026. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world. Sessions of this class will be recorded and shared with all enrolled students in case there are any you have to miss, but live attendance at a majority of sessions is required.
Your Instructor: Narratively executive editor Jesse Sposato is a longtime journalist, essayist and editor living in the Catskills. Her writing has appeared on Vanity Fair, InStyle, Slate, Shondaland, HuffPost, Gloria, Memoir Land and many other publications. At Narratively, she spearheaded our recent four-series collaboration with Creative Nonfiction, and edits many of the stories appearing in our Memoir, Deep Dives and Secret Lives sections. Prior to joining Narratively, Jesse was a regular contributor to Refinery29 and wrote Urban Campers, a series about people living in RVs in NYC, for New York Magazine’s Bedford + Bowery for over two years. She also co-founded Sadie Magazine, an online counterculture publication, which she edited for six years. Jesse received an MFA in creative nonfiction from Columbia University, and has been awarded residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Vermont Studio Center and Wildacres. She particularly likes to write and edit stories about social issues, feminism, health and wellness, culture, and friendship, and is working on a collection of essays about coming of age in the suburbs and being boy crazy.
“I am a veteran of online workshops and this has been hands down the best course I have ever taken. Jesse is an inspiring and inspired instructor who wraps her talents in warmth and kindness.” —Parvi R.
“Jesse’s editorial letters and in-line notes are such generous jewels. Truly some of the most valuable I’ve ever experienced in any course. I am so glad I signed up!” —Valerie P.
“Thank you for expanding my writing universe of ideas. I enjoyed the class, which taught me a few things I didn’t know, and reinforced and expanded what I knew. I left feeling enriched and inspired.” —Margo M.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Cancellation Policy:
Full refund when canceling 7 or more days before the class start date.
50% refund when canceling less than 7 days before the class start date.
No cancellations after the class start date.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.
MORE: Check out all of our upcoming Narratively Academy classes here.